Presser foot for button sewing machine



Oct. 30, 1956 w. A. TROLL PRESSER FOOT FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINE 5Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 1s, 1951 INVENTOR mzzmmAZ-Ou Y' @MM/M,ATTORNEY PRESSER FOOT FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed July 16, 1951 5Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToR www Oct. 30, 1956 w. A. T'RoLl. 2,758,594

PRESSER FOOT FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed July 1e, 1951 5 sheets-shea3 INVENTOR United States Patent i gud PRESSER FOOT FOR BUTTON SEWINGMACHINE William A. Troll, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to Emsighglanufacturing Company, New York, N. Y., a partner- S P ApplicationJuly 16, 195'1, Serial No. 236,997

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-113) This invention relates to button sewingattachments, and more particularly to a presser foot for a buttonfeeding machine.

This invention embodies improvements over my invention disclosed in myapplication Serial No. 166,754, filed June 7, -1950, now Patent No.2,661,709, granted Decem- 'ber 8, 1953.

My invention in my application aforesaid concerns itself `with a-presser foot construction Vfor a button sewing machine wherein'thepresser foot has combined therewith -afchute leading to a hopper forproviding a continuous supply of buttons to the Ypresser foot. Inthepractice of `the v"invention the feeding chute aligns sewing holebuttons adjacent a Zone wherein an orienting claw and feed- Virig'clfawltransposelor shift the button to the sewing position from -the zone inthe chute by entering the sewing -holeof the button. The action ofmechanically entering fthe -hole to orient, transpose and sew throughVthe sewing hole, when effected under unusually high speeds, frequentl'yresults in an impelling action 'and reflection which, lwitl'ii-n thetolerances which are found necessary, 'may disalign a button fromethepredetermined adjusted position for accurately orienting, transposingand `sewing,'to cause -needle breakage-'and consequent interruption.

Accordingly, it--is an object of my invention to provide `a presser footfor buttons in which the presser foot and `chute are coordinated`totranspose a button from a series in a ffeed line or -stack in a chute'to the sewing position, and to guide the button as it is transmittedfrom a pro- "iniscuous arrangement of the sewing hole to an orientedposition ofthe sewing hole, so that accurate, high speed feeding meansmay be retained.

Still more particularly i't Ais an 'object of my invention to Aprovidehigh speed feeding means in an automatic "button feeding 'and presserfoot attachment characterized by the 'fact that the momentum of rapidlymoving parts 'does'n'o't adversely afec't'the accuracy of orienting,transposing and holding Athe button during the button .sewingoperations.

To attain these objects and such Vfurther objects as f'may appear hereinor be 'hereinafter pointed out, I make 1''e"feien'ce tothe accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof, in which- .Figurel is arfragrnentary`'front elevation of a presser vfoot -and button `feeding ,attachment`in accordance with .my invention;

A Figure 2 is a staggered side elevation on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

`Figure 3 is a 'magnified section taken along the line `Figure 4 Vis asection taken along the line 4-4 of rFigure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 4are views similar to Figure 4, with 1theparts of the-orienting :and transporting .mechanism fin `different gpositions;

'Figure'7 'is a section taken'on `the line 7-7 of Figure-,4;

Figure 8 is optimum position;

Figures 9 and 10 are similar views with the button displaced in slightlyabnormal positions.

My invention may be summarized as providing in a combination presserfoot and button feeding device, a button orienting, transporting andclamping mechanism which is connected to a button feeding chute in whichthe shifting of the button from the chute to thepresser foot wheresewing is effected is accomplished at high speeds, and the cycle ofoperation involving the step of withdrawing a single button from a lineof feed, orienting the button with regard to the sewing holes andtransporting the same to the sewing position, and the return of theparts to the initial position are effected with great rapidity, while soholding the button during the various operations enumerated to secureaccuracy and independence of the iniluence of the rapidly moving parts.

Making reference to the drawings, there is shown a fragment of a buttonsewing machine displaying the head 10, the needle bar 11 for the needle12 and the lifting bar 13. The lifting bar 13 is arranged to be operatedby the usual clamp operating rock lever, to which is attached a bracketarm 14, engaging the lever 15 by being directed through the eye or fork16. The lever 15 is pivotally supported on the block 17 to rock on thepivot 15. The free end 19 of the lever 1S is provided with a fork 20,engaging the finger 21, which is connected with the carriage 22. Thecarriage 22 which is provided with flanged friction relieving rollers22a rides on the chute 23, leading to a button hopper (not shown) inaccordance with my application aforementioned.

The chute has a channel 24 Vfor receiving the buttons B and within whichthe buttons may slide in edge-to-edge contact, running from therelatively vertical segment 25 to the presser foot branch 26. Coverplates 27 and 28 :cover the channel to outline a slot through which thebuttons within the channel are accessible. The guide slot 29 is in anon-central position with regard to the channel 24, to provide theguiding edge walls 30 and 31 spaced with relation to the buttons B, tocover the locus of .points of the thread receiving apertures a and b.for one-quarter of the button and merging into the quarter turn arcuateguide walls 32 and 33 leading to the edges 34 and 35, definingrespectively an arcuate slot 36 leading to a centrally positioned slot37.

It will be understood by reference to my prior appli- `cation that theguide slot 2,9 joining with `the sections 36 and 37 is accessible to theshank of the pin l38, to drag a button B between the walls 39 and 40 andt-he cover plates 27 and v28, to orient the button sothat the sewinghole or thread receiving apertures a and b are aligned centrally withthe guide slot 37. This orienting action by a procedural step ofdragging the button in the channel 24 by scanning the locus of points ofthe button apertures lvz and b is eifected automatically by themechanism illustrated herein Iand mounted upon the carriage 22, as in myprior application. The illustration which is made is for a two-holesewing hole button, more particularly Va button in accordance with thepatent to Bmsig, 2,451,077, of October 12, 1948, and it will beunderstood that :the four-hole or three-hole sewing hole button may beemployed.

lIn the aforesaid construct-ion the carriage 22 lhas a cross pin 41, onwhich is mounted the lever 42, having `a rocking bearing 43, permittingrocking action during pivotal movement, as controlled by the set screw43a. The lever 42 has yan extension linger 44, by which it may bespringbiased by the coil spring 45 to the anchoring pin 46, .passingthrough the feeding lever 47. The feeding llever 47 is formed with slots48, 49, and 50, in parallelism, the cross pin 41 f-passing through theslot 49 and pins 46 and 51 passing through the slots 48 and '50,.re-

spectively. The anchoring pins 46 and 51 are supported on tripping lever52.

The feeding lever `47 has a linger 53 transversely extending to supportone end ofthe spring 54. The other end of the spring l54 is anchored tothe pin 46. The tripping Ilever 52 is spring biased forcounter-clockwise rotary movement when viewed in the direction of Figurel yby the spring 55, whose end 56 is turned to engage the lever S2 inopposi-tion to the anchoring end 57 engaging the carriage flange 58.

The carriage 22 is normally biased against the stop 59 by the spring 60,extended at its opposite ends from Ithe pin 61 and the end 62 of thecross pin 41.

The biasing action of the springs normally maintains the levers in aposition shown to project the terminal angularly bent end 63 and thebent end 64 of the feed levers 42 and 47, respectively, into Contactwith the cover plate 27 so that in the normal position, i. e., that ofpressing down on the work for sewing, the feeler pin 33 is extended inthe slot 29. The lever 42 has a cross finger 65 which rides over thelever 52 so that movement `of the end 66 will be in the path engagingthe finger 65.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, it will be observed that the presserfoot just described may press down on the bed plate 1 by means of theclamp arm 7 to which the post 9 is attached, hooked to L-bar 9 on thelifting bar 13 previously described to tilt the lever 15 as well as tolift the post 9. The clamp arm 7 has attached thereto a bracket 8 havinga branch Sa atiixed to the rear of the chute 23. The contour of thebracket 8 is determined by the direction of jogging of the clamp Yassembly 7 by the sewing machine, which may jog the presser foot andbutton with relation to the needle stroke in accordance wtih the numberof sewing hole apertures and the direction of shift of the work toalternate the thrust of the needle from one sewing thread aperture toanother in a manner which will be readily understood.

Upon actuation of the lifting bar through manipulation of the treadle orother arrangements for motion transmission, as described in my priorapplication, now Patent No. 2,661,709, the lifting bar 13 also transmitsmovement through the bracket arm 14 to engage the lever 15 andrelatively tilt the free end 19 to engage the finger 21 which isconnected with the carriage 22. The initial action is to raise the pin38 from the slot segments 36, 37, which are a continuation of thechannel 29. This permits a button B to slide down into the channel 2.4beneath the extension 66a of the cover plate strip 28 until it abuts thefinger 67 on the arm 63 which, by the pin 69, supports the pressure arm70, independently movable of the finger 67 on the arm 68 and carrying aange 71 with an edge 72 aligned with the edge 35 in opposed relation tothe edge 34 of the cover plate 27. The pin 69 pivotally carries the arms68 and 70 on the upstanding branch of the stop bracket 73. An extensionfinger 74, having a slit 75, is engaged by the spring lever 76 mountedon the pin 77 normally to bias the finger 67 in the path of the buttonwithin the channel 24. The opposite arm 73 is biased against thetransverse flange 79 of the bracket.

Also sleeved on the pin 77 is a spiral spring 80 whose transverse end 81is biased against the end of the arm 70. The anchoring arm 32 is biasedin `opposition against the tiange 79 of the bracket previouslydescribed.

The preliminary movement thus far described serves to bring a button inposition for orientation.

In the lifting of the presser foot and chute by the initial movementdescribed, the lever 52 has been directed progressively to move thelatching iiange 83 against the guide 84. The guide 84 consists of anupstanding iat spring arm 35, yieldable transversely and having a fiange86 which is rigidly attached to the chute by the screw 87. The latchingiiange 83 has a lower camming face 88, for deflecting the latching guide34 as the limit of movement of the carriage toward the end of thepresser foot has been reached and snapping the upper face of thelatching flange 3 beneath the guide 4. As the presser foot is againreleased, by releasing the lifting bar 13, the carriage is givenmovement aided by the spring 60 which tilts the lever 52, to retract thelever ends 63 and 64 from the channel (see Figure 6).

As the lever 52 tilts upwardly, it engages the tinger 65 and at the sametime the pin 46, to carry the lever end 64 from the channel. At thelimit of the stroke downwardly of the presser foot, as shown in Figuresl and 2, the latching ange 83 has become disengaged from the guide 84,to propel the lever end 63 toward the cover plate and resiliently urgethe pin 33 on the upper surface of the button B, which has now slid tothe limiting position previously described.

Again raising the presser foot through the medium of the draw bar 13will cause the pin 38 to scan the face of the button in the X positionshown in Figures 4 to 7, which is the third position from the end of thepresser foot. As the pin 38 follows the channel between the edges 30-31to the point 36, it scans the locus of points of every sewing hole a,drops into this aperture and, on continued movement, drags the buttoneccentrically, to orient the apertures a and b aligned with the channel37, defined by the edges 34 and 35. Continued movement of the presserfoot upwardly will serve to pry the extension 66a upwardly, and move thebutton against and passed the finger 67 until the button is shifted tothe Y position shown in Figure 5. The finger 67 then drops behind thetrailing edge c of the button in the Y position.

The button in the Y position, by the same movement but independently ofthe finger 67, has been pried beneath the iiange 71 carried by the lever70, the beveled peripheral edge of the button camming the ange 71 out ofits path.

The upward, relative movement of the presser foot to the limitingposition is secured when the pin 89 strikes the stop 90. Continuedmovement of the carriage relatively to the lever 47 is permitted withinthe slots 48, 49 and 50 previously described, to secure a jolting actionagainst the stop 90 on the upstanding stop bracket 73. Again loweringthe presser foot repeats the movement of the levers 42, 47 and 52,returning the lever 47 to the position shown in Figure 4 and causing theclaw pins 91 and 92 to enter the sewing hole apertures a and b whichhave been aligned to be coincident with the channel defined by the edges34 and 72 and which is an axial continuation of the channel 37.

Repeating the raising of the presser foot at this stage projects thelever 47, with its end 64, to the position shown in Figure 5, guidingthe button bodily in the sewing position Z, where the end 93 of thecover plate 27 is formed with a clearance cutout 94 over the flange 95of the presser foot and surrounding the annular clearance cutout 96.

Opposed to the ange 95 is a flange 97, both of which are extensions ofthe branch 26. The wall 40 above the flange 97 is cut away to form aguide face 98 and shoulder 99 forming a slot 100 beneath the cover platesegment 101. Sandwiched between the tiange 97 and the cover plate 101 Iprovide an arm 102 which is pivoted on the block 103. A spring 104 isanchored by the screw 105 to bias the ends 106 and 107 away from eachother and to have the spring finger 108 press the upstanding branch 109of the lever normally outwardly at that end and to project the jaw 110inwardly into the slot 100 between the flange 97 and the cover plate end101. The jaw 110 is formed with a seat 111. The axial line through theseat 111 is positioned to intersect the center of a button which may bemoved to the sewing position Z previously described. The seat 111 isyieldable with respect to a fixed point 112 which is an extension of thewall 39 beneath the cutout 94 provided by the cover plate end 93 and theunderlying ange 95.

The seat 111 may be arcuate or may comprise angularly directed wallscalculated to act in the nature of a detent seating the button in the Zposition edgewise, with its center coincident with the calculated centerof the sewing position of the machine. Yieldability of the seat 111 inone direction only is preferred.

With the construction described, upon repeating the raising of thepresser foot assembly to guide the button bodil)l to the sewing positionZ as above described, accuracy of location of the button is assured,despite any underor over-movement or displacement of the button whichmay occur by reason of the action of the claw pins 91 and 92. in theretraction of the lever 47 upon release of the presser foot after thebutton has been shifted to the Z position. Thus, the impelling or snapor spring action of the lever 47, as it withdraws the claw pins 91 and92 from the sewing hole apertures, is neutralized, as is also any otherinfluence or vibration where button irregularity may occur. Likewise, alarger tolerance in size between the pins 38, 91, 92 and the buttonsewing apertures may exist, without danger of needle breakage in sewing,as will be clear from Figs. 8-10, wherein the dotted lines a and a", band b show the possible displacement of the sewing hole apertures a andb, which may occur Without needle breakage.

Chamfering of the sewing hole aperture adjacent the faces of the buttonincreases the tolerable angle of displacement from the accurateposition. As the sewing operation proceeds, the yieldability in onedirection from the wall 112 assures a self-corrective influence on thebutton in sewing,

In operation of the construction which has been described, I haveobserved that high speed action, such as that obtained by transmittingan impelling movement to the draw bar 13, may be employed to effect theproper feed and discharge of the button at the end of each cycle ofsewing. The combination of making :provision for a positive stop for thebutton by the finger 67 independently of the friction provided by thepressure plate 71 and independently of the gripping pressure of the jaw110 extended to the button, serve to exert a corrective influence on themisalignment in the proper positioning of the button which may occur dueto the disturbance caused by the rapidity of movement of the associatedparts. Likewise, by the construction described a corrective influence iseffected due to any wear caused by constant rubbing of the buttons onthe plate portions of the guide. Still further rebounding of the rspringparts in orienting and positioning of the button by the claw shiftingmechanism is neutralized and the effect of any incorrect positioningwhich would ordiuariiy occur is overcome and corrected.

l't will also be observed that yieldability of the button held in the Zposition in the direction of the jaw 110 and centering the button withrespect to the seat 111 formed thereon assures proper sewing with a loopstitch type of button sewing machine without failure, and loosestitching disappears.

It will thus be observed that by the construction described all thebenefits of the construction of the aforementioned application may beobtained at high speeds and without the damaging influence of springrebound, vibration, wear or displacement, which may occur or be presentin the employment of said assembly.

For further understanding of the direction of feed and the positioningof the bracket necessary for such feed to take care of buttons of thetwo, three or four hole variety, reference is made to my patentaforesaid. It will also be understood that where the feed is modified tohandle a four-hole button, even though orientation is effected byengagement of two sewing holes positioned diagonally with respect toeach other, the jogging of the work holder undergoes the usual cycle ofsewing two adjacent sewing holes.

Similar changes are required for feeding a three hole button, in whichcase the feed is along a line coinciding with all three holes of thebutton diametrically through the button.

Each button feeding attachment is constructed dimensionally to handle apredetermined size of button as will be readily understood by theskilled worker.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a button sewing machine attachment, a chute and combined presserfoot extended therefrom for feeding sewing hole but-tons in edge-to-edgecontact from a source of supply to a button clamp and presser foot, abutton orienting member arranged to be coupled to the presser footincluding a button hole prong eccentrically scanning and engaging abutton hole to shift the hole to an axial position in the chute, abutton transporting member having button hole engaging prongs to shiftthe button to a button sewing position, the combination havingindependent resilient means engaging the button in each of the positionsof aforesaid whereby the button under the influence of one of themembers does not alter the adjustment with respect to the button underthe influence of the other member.

2. A sewing hole button feeder attachment for a button sewing machinecomprising a presser foot having a chute adapted to be connected to amagazine source of supply of buttons serially to feed the buttons inedge to edge arrangement in said chute to said presser foot, saidpresser foot being slidably mounted on a bracket adapted to be connectedto said button sewing machine, means for limiting the sliding movementof the buttons through the chute, tilting means comprising leversmounted on the bracket having sewing hole pins for orienting andtransporting the buttons from said limiting means to the sewing positionon the presser foot during relative movement of the presser foot inrespect of the bracket, a button face engaging member positioned belowsaid limiting means in the chute for resiliently pressing upon thebutton for holding it for manipulation by the pins.

3. A sewing hole button feeder attachment in accordance with claim 2wherein said button limiting means comprises a spring biased fingeraxially offset in the chute in the path leading to said button faceengaging member to limit reverse movement of the button upon engagementof said button by the pins for transporting the button.

4. In a sewing hole button feeder attachment having a presser foot and amagazine feed connected therewith arranged for operation by the movementof the presser foot in the releasing cycle of movement thereof, andincluding means to feed a button from a serially arranged supply to abutton clamp on said presser foot, a fixed guide in said clamp, anopposed resilient detent jaw yieldable in relation -to said fixed guide,a substantially at guide face below said fixed guide and opposed detentjaw, between which guides and over which guide face the button may beyieldably displaced in seating and during sewmg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,903,268 Ross Mar. 28, 1933 1,903,269 Ross et al. Mar. 28, 19331,940,229 Rawnsley Dec. 19, 1933

